Ninjago, Junior Edition
by Astra H. Lowelle
Summary: Ten tiny tales of the Ninjago crew as kids.
1. Annoying VS Hothead

"You're holding your hammer wrong, Kai," remarked eight-year-old Nya, peering over at her brother's work. "You're making a mess of that thingy."

Kai took a deep breath. "How do you know I'm doing it wrong if you don't even know what I'm doing?"

"The blueprint's right in front of us. It's supposed to be a dagger, but you have the metal thingy upside-down and backwards."

She peered a bit more critically. "Plus, the other thingy is sideways."

Kai, who found it amusing that his sister was a better blacksmith than he was and yet she couldn't remember the names of tools and parts, straightened the offending piece of metal with a pair of tongs. "Better?"

Nya reached over with her own smaller hammer and dealt the hot metal a few light taps. "Okay, now. You can continue."

"You're so annoying, sis."

"You're such a hothead, bro."


	2. Flashy the Second, Part I

"Jay," Edna called through the window. "Come on in and wash up, sweetie. It's time for lunch."

"I'm not done!" came a muffled voice from the depths of a junk pile. "I haven't found anything to use for fins yet!"

"Fins?" Edna frowned. Her husband joined her at the sink.

"Jay's goldfish died last week," he explained, rubbing soapy hands under a stream of water. "You know, the little guy he called Flashy? So I told him I'd help him build a metal one that wouldn't die."

"How clever, Ed!"

Ed smiled proudly. "Thank you, Edna. But our Jay wants to do it all by himself."

There was a sudden crash from outside, followed the sounds of avalanching trash, and a young voice hollering, "I'm okay!"

Ed chuckled. "Glad to hear it, son," he called. "Now come on inside before lunch gets cold."


	3. Nice Try

"What are these, Dad?" six-year-old Cole wanted to know. His father looked over from where he was reading a newspaper.

"Those are dumbbells, Cole. I used them to exercise."

"What do they do?" Cole tried to pick one up. Then two. He couldn't hold them by the bar as that wouldn't fit in his palm, put he was able to heft the weights relatively easily.

"They make you big and strong."

"Like vegetables?"

"Something like that, yes."

"And chocolate cake?" Cole tried hopefully.

His father chuckled. "Nice try, son."


	4. Only the Nerds, Iy'H

Lloyd hurried to finish dressing, grabbed his schoolbag, and hastened out into the corridor with the rest of his Darkley schoolmates.

"What do we have today?" he asked Zhou Yang, a friend of his. Zhou pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and examined it.

"Tuesday... Tuesday... so first we have Blowing-Stuff-Up 101-"

"Chemistry?"

"Only the nerds call it that," Zhou yawned. "Next is Advanced Doomsday Devices-"

"Wood shop?"

"Only the nerds, Garmadon. Then is Disturbing the Peace-"

"Music?"

As Zhou gave his standard reply, Lloyd sighed uncomfortably. It was going to be a long day.


	5. Flashy the Second, Part II

"Flashy, Flashy, swimming'n'swimming," Jay hummed softly as he tinkered with his favorite screwdriver and some metal scraps. "Oh, no. Whoops."

"Everything okay, honey?" Edna asked, walking past her son's room with a basket of laundry. Jay looked up.

"Huh? Me? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Um, should fish gills attach the eyes and tail together?"

"I don't think so, sweetie. Want some help?"

"No thanks. I'll get it soon. What color eyes should I do?"

"How about blue? That's your favorite color."

Jay wrinkled his small face in thought. "Umm... I wanted to do the same color as Flashy's eyes, but I can't remember if they were gold or black. I dunno. Ooh! How about red?"

"You just have fun, dear," Edna smiled as she hefted her laundry. Jay, once again absorbed in his project, nodded and picked up his screwdriver again.


	6. Pepper Problem

"Good morning, Father," Zane said as he placed a plate of scrambled eggs on the table. "I have prepared breakfast."

Dr. Julien smiled. "Good morning, Zane. Thank you."

He picked up his fork and took a bite of egg. A moment later, his face contorted into a series of sneezes. A bit of egg sailed across the room.

"Oh, dear." Zane looked concerned. "Is something wrong?"

He looked carefully at the plate Dr. Julien had pushed aside in favor of his water glass. "Oh, no! I mistakenly added pepper in place of salt!"

Zane's face fell. "I am sorry, Father."

Eyes watering slightly, Dr. Julien reached out to pat Zane's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it was a simple mistake. Why don't you go and play with your falcon?"

Zane hesitated, and Dr. Julien added with a smile, "I'll do the dishes."


	7. Midnight Snack

Slash. Cut. Jump... _strikestrikestrike_! Kick. Duck. Again!

"Garmadon?" Wu came into the dojo, wearing his pajamas and rubbing his eyes. "Why are you still up? It's past midnight!"

All of Garmadon's seven-year-old body was focused on the task at hand- fighting a row of moving training dummies. "Just practicing, Wu. Go back to bed."

"But you've been training all day! Did you even have dinner?"

"I told you, I'm busy."

Wu padded quietly over to the machine and switched it off. Garmadon gave a snort of annoyance, but Wu grabbed his wrist. "Come on, brother. Let's get you something to eat."

Much as he hated to admit it, Garmadon was kind of hungry. "Didn't you already eat, Wu?"

"Yes..." Wu winked. "But I believe in midnight snacks."


	8. Flashy the Second, Part III

The body was done, Jay decided. The only remaining problem was how to make Flashy the Second waterproof.

"Daddy, how do you make a fish waterproof?"

Ed looked down at the boy tugging lightly on his pants. "Jay, are you sure you wouldn't just like a new fish?"

Jay pouted. "No! I just want to know how to waterproof Flashy the Second!"

Capitulating with a smile, Ed leaned down for a look at the metal contraption in the small palm. "Hmmm... Let's see. Why don't you and I head down to my workshop and work on a waterproof glue to spread over Flash?"

"Flashy the Second, Daddy."

"Flashy the Second, yep. Let's get to it."


	9. Five-Year-Old Foodie

Skylor really loved helping out in her dad's restaurant. It was so much fun serving all the customers and watching them eat the yummy noodles.

The only trouble was, she wasn't quite tall enough to reach the customer counter.

"Perhaps you'd do better with a stool," Clouse had suggested once, and five-year-old Skylor let him know exactly what she thought of that idea by throwing a bowl of puffy-pot-stickers at him.

It seemed almost a shame to waste them, though, because they were so delicious. So Skylor quickly whipped up a fresh batch.

"Good, Skylor, good!" Master Chen was delighted. "These are-ha ha ha!- perfect! I have taught my daughter well!"

Behind him, Clouse picked a pot-sticker out of his ear and grimaced. Skylor beamed.

"Thanks, Dad! I sure do love working here!"


	10. Flashy the Second, Part IV

It was finished.

It was finished, and it was a masterpiece.

Jay watched proudly as Flashy the Second swum around and around and around in his fishbowl. "Are you having fun, Flashy?"

Flashy the Second blurped out a bubble.

"Do you like your new home?"

Blurp.

Jay watched the light flashing off its shiny scales. Flashy the First had had shiny scales too, but not this shiny.

It felt funny.

"Flashy?" Jay spoke softly. "Do you think I could get another fish? A real one again? Would it hurt your feelings?"

Blurp.

"I still like you, Flashy. I think you're cool. But I also want a real fish, 'kay? Please don't be mad."

Blurp, blurp went Flashy the Second. Jay poked a finger into the bowl to pet its fin, and then went out of his room to talk to his parents.


End file.
